But the therapist, a composed woman who had clearly seen this exact move before, let him get only so far before she set it down.

“Mr.

Sterling,” she said, not unkindly.

“Your financial stress explains your emotional state.

It does not excuse using your daughter’s pain as a tool to cover your tracks.

Those are two different conversations, and we can have the first one another day.

Today we are going to stay with what Irene experienced.”

Mark went quiet.